First MDF Family Day a Success!

Before the summer faded into fall, a friendly and spirited cadre of adventure-seekers came together in late August for a short sail on San Francisco Bay and brunch at Delancey Street Restaurant, a San Francisco institution that faces the bay on the city’s picturesque Embarcadero. The occasion was the first MDF Family Day, a day dedicated solely to the pursuit of leisure and sunshine for local members of our community.

A highlight for some was setting sail on keelboats with the Bay Area Association of Disabled Sailors, a nonprofit organization dedicated to making sailing accessible to everyone. But the main draw was simply the opportunity to meet other families who are affected by DM, to get to know one another a little bit, and enjoy each others’ company. Over 20 people attended the inaugural event, from all sides of the DM community - families with congenital children, juvenile-onset adults, adults with DM1, and unaffected family members alike came together to enjoy a day on the San Francisco shoreline. Click here to see more photos of the event!

Are you interested in organizing an MDF Family Day outing in your area? It's an event that can happen anywhere, providing an activity for all members of the community to partake in. Family Day is the brainchild of former Outreach Director Leslie Krongold, who also provides training and support to enable MDF support groups. MDF is assembling a “how-to” list to make it easy for you to design the day, spread the word and handle the logistics. You can learn from the San Francisco experience and contribute your own lessons to MDF as you go along. To receive the how-to guide and share your own ideas, please contact Program Director Paul Formaker at paul.formaker@myotonic.org.